Many people of Uddanam have fallen prey to chronic kidney diseases (CKD) due to the consumption of contaminated water. Groundwater contamination triggered by the usage of high levels of pesticides is the primary cause.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has executed and completed the drinking water project, popularly known as the YSR Sujaladhara Project, initiated by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, inaugurated this scheme from Makharampuram village in Kanchili Mandal of Srikakulam District.
The YSR Sujaladhara Uddanam Drinking Water Project has been initiated to ensure safe drinking water access to every home, mainly because the people of this region have been suffering from renal diseases caused by the consumption of contaminated water. Although Rivers Bahuda and Mahendra Tanya flow by the Uddanam region, close to Eddana, they have not helped in quenching people's thirst as they dry up during summers. Taking note of the same, the current chief minister approved the scheme on September 6, 2019.
The project has been designed to supply safe drinking water to around seven lakh people residing in 807 villages across Kavithi, Kanchili, Sompeta, Ichchapuram, Mandasa, Vajrapukottur, and Palasa mandals.
The project will draw water from the River Vamsadhara at the Hiramandalam Reservoir and transport it over 100 kilometres. Enabling water transportation, MEIL has laid 1,200 kilometres of pipeline network. Further, the company also readied intake wells, overhead tanks, and reservoirs. Also, a pumping station near Hiramandalam reservoir and in Meliyaputti, a water treatment plant that can purify 84 million litres of water daily, has been constructed.
Despite challenges thrown by unforeseen rainfalls, floods, and the pandemic, MEIL teams completed the project on time.
Speaking on the occasion, CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy said, "During my padayatra, I could see the suffering of the Uddanam people. It was then that I promised to resolve this decades-long plight of the people of this region. Currently, the government is investing Rs 700 crores to ensure safe drinking water for the residents."
K. Govardhan Reddy, President of Projects, MEIL, said, "Despite challenges such as COVID-19, floods, and severe rains, we have successfully completed the Uddanam drinking water scheme, initiated by the Andhra Pradesh state government. AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy garu has inaugurated the project. This project is important as it will help improve the water situation in Uddanam, where people suffered from kidney issues for decades due to the consumption of contaminated groundwater. We have installed pipelines along national highways, rivers, and railway crossings, covering a distance of 1,200 km. We at MEIL are happy to have executed such a transformative project."
Background of Uddanam
Since the 1980s, the people in the Uddanaman area have been grappling with Chronic Kidney Diseases. Nearly six lakh people across 809 villages have fallen prey to CKD. For decades, people here mainly depended on bore water for drinking purposes. When most people started falling prey to CKD, various tests were conducted by experts who observed the local people's eating habits, family connections, and lifestyles, only to know that the groundwater contamination here could have led to the problem. Uddanaman in Srikakulam district is one of the world's four places with the most cases of kidney disease. Other areas with high numbers of people with kidney disease include Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka.
Thanks to the Uddanam Drinking Water Project, now, the people here will rejoice, for their future generations can now be safe from health issues like CKD.